74 The Flower Garden [Chapter 



umbrellas in striking contrast to the discolouration of 

 the original plants. There are two varieties of the 

 Umbrella-plant a dwarf, growing not more than 

 eighteen inches high, and a tall variety growing three 

 or four feet; the former is prettier for table decora- 

 tions, while the latter is more effective for pedestals 

 in halls and drawing-rooms. Remove all weak or 

 spindly umbrellas and all discoloured ones; it is also 

 well to remove the flowers, as seeding injures the plant. 

 Cyclamen may be started in flats or in a cool hotbed 

 from January to March, pressing the seed into the soil 

 about twice their depth. They must be kept moist, 

 not wet, all the time. They do not require as much 

 heat as the Calceolaria, but the temperature must be 

 kept as even as possible. The seed germinates in from 

 two to four weeks, according to its vitality. It is best 

 to start them in large flats and let them grow on un- 

 disturbed. About the last of May remove them to a 

 cold-frame on the east side of the house, disturbing 

 the roots as little as possible, and setting the plants 

 about eight inches apart each way. Keep the soil 

 moist and mellow by frequent cultivation, or by 

 mulching it with sphagnum moss or lawn clippings. 

 When the plants have attained some size give weak 

 liquid manure once a week, pouring it in a shallow 

 trench between the rows, that it may not touch the 

 bulbs or foliage. Treated in this way they should 

 be ready to bloom by winter; if grown in pots they 

 will not bloom until the second season. When cold 



